Complicated Relationship
by OriginallyUnknown
Summary: Alex Russo and Justin Moriarty haven't been close in years, but what if a fight causes them to lose each other for good. Will one night together be able to change their relationship, or will it drive them further apart?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is a Jalex story, but it's in a alternate universe, and Justin and Alex are not related. This is my first story, so it's not prefect, but I will do my best to write a good story. Criticism is appreciated, hate is not. Also, it would mean a lot if you would please review. Enjoy! **

It was a Wednesday night as Justin Moriarty walked back to his apartment building. Making his way slowly down the streets of New York, Justin took in all the craziness that surrounded him.

The streets were filled with cars, and their blaring horns. People covering the sidewalk corners, yelled and whistled as they signaled for a cab. Smoke coming from the manhole covers, rose from the ground, and into the dark sky. And the massive buildings that concealed the sun during the day, lit up the streets at night.

This was his favorite time of the day, because he felt it was the only time of day he could escape the pressures in his life. And for some odd reason, all these things always seemed to clam Justin. He never really understood why, but it cleared his head and made him fell at peace.

Finally making his way to Waverly Place, Justin walked into the large eight story building. Passing by some of his neighbors, Justin smiled and waved as he made his way to the wide, blood red staircase. Taking three steps at a time, Justin jogged up to the second floor, and went down the left hallway, that led to his family's apartment. But, before making his way to the door someone called his name.

"Justin?" he heard a familiar voice say. Turning around, he looked at the women, "Oh, hi Mrs. Russo!" he said in a cheerful voice.

"Hello Justin, I haven't seen you in a while, how are you doing?" Theresa asked, as she set down the trash bags she had been holding. Making his way closer to Theresa, Justin replied, "I've been good, just really busy with school and work, but I am sure my mom probably already told you that."

"Yeah, she told me that you were going to be out of a job for a while, what happened to the comic book store?" she asked curiously. "The owner decided to renovate the store, he never really told us why, but we closed the store down about a week ago. I was actually just there helping them move some boxes out." Justin explained.

"I'm sorry to hear that, but it's a good thing I ran into. Jerry and I actually need some help at the Subshop, and we were wondering if you would like to take the job." she suggested. "That would be great, I would love to. Thank you so much Mrs. Russo!" he exclaimed happily.

Theresa slightly laughed, "You're welcome, and Justin, you can call me Theresa. I've known you since the day you were born, there is no need to be so formal."

"Sorry, but anyways, when would you like me to start?" Justin asked calmly. "Monday around five o'clock would be great." she said glancing at her watch. " I'll be there, and do you need any help with those?" Justin said pointing to the black garbage bags at her feet.

"I think I'll be alright, but you have a good night, okay, and tell your mom I said hi." Nodding his head, he replied, "You got it."


	2. Chapter 2

"Mom! Why would you do that?" Alex yelled as she watched her mom prepare her special ten cheese enchilada surprise.

"Alex, we need extra help at the restaurant, and Justin needed a job, so stop yelling, and come here and help me." Theresa said as she looked at her daughter.

Walking around the island, Alex approached her mother, who then handed her some plates for the table. "Anyways, why are you freaking out, I thought you and Justin were friends?"

Setting the table, Alex explained, "Mom, Justin and I haven't been friends since we were like twelve years old, we grew apart. I talk to him at school sometimes, but we aren't that close, especially since he is the one who usually gets me in trouble with Mr. Laritate."

Alex sighed as she looked at her mother, "I already spend seven hours a day with him at school, I don't necessarily want to see him at work too."

Theresa rolled her eyes, "First of all; he isn't that bad, and second of all; you can't call it work when you hardly ever show up."

Ignoring her mother's comment, Alex finished, "It's not that I hate him, it's just there is only so mush 'Justin' I can take in one day." Stopping for a moment, Alex looked at the table, "By the way, why are there so many extra plates?"

"I invited the Moriartys over for dinner, and I don't want to hear you complain, you're eighteen years old. Even if you and Justin aren't close anymore, it doesn't change the fact that his parents and I are good friends."

"Fine!" Alex huffed.

Theresa walked closer to Alex and hugged her with one arm, "Thank you, I appreciate it."

"You better, because you're making me eat dinner with my old best friend, Justin, his brother Dean, my ex-boyfriend, and their parents."

Letting go of her daughter, Theresa apologized, "I'm sorry, I didn't think it would be that bad, but anyways, dinner will be ready in about an hour, so you're free to go."

Forty-five minutes had passed and Alex was currently in her room working on one of paintings. She had started it about a week ago and was almost finished when she heard someone knock on the door. Keeping her attention on what she was doing, she mumbled a reply, "come in" seconds later the door opened, and Justin appeared in the doorway.

Looking around, Justin was greeted with a disorganized wreck. Clothes, shoes, art supplies, and all the like, were thrown and spread all throughout her fur covered room. It always managed to surprise him that she could live in such disarray.

Looking at Alex, Justin smiled, "I see you don't clean up for company."

Finally taking her eyes off her painting, she glared at him, "If you're gonna come in here, you're gonna deal with my mess. What do you want?"

Justin laughed slightly, "Well, hello to you too!" he said sarcastically.

"Hey, I don't really remember you saying hello." she shot back.

"I am so sorry, hello Alex, how are you doing?" he said mockingly, walking further into the room.

At this point Justin knew he was getting under her skin. "Oh, and to answer your question, your mom sent me up here to tell you that dinner is ready."

"Did she also send you up here to annoy me, because you are doing a great job."

Shaking his head, Justin replied, "No, I do that for my own personal benefit."

Rolling her eyes as she stood up, Alex dropped her paint brush in the jar of water that was set next to her easel, "Do you think you're funny?"

Justin huffed, "No…" he said picking up one of her bigger brushes, twirling it between his fingers, "I think I'm hilarious."

This made Alex giggle. Walking closer to him, she grabbed a hold of the brush and poked him, "You only wish, dork."

"Hey, I made you laugh." he said smiling, crossing his arms.

Dropping the brush and lightly pushing Justin towards the door, Alex sighed, "Yeah yeah, let's just go and get this over with."

Much to Alex's surprise, dinner was actually kind of nice. Dean wasn't there so it made things a little less awkward, and she had forgotten how amusing the Moriartys could be, especially Justin's parents, Noah and Ava.

Ava Moriarty was a short, pretty brunette, who had the most amazing grey-green eyes, much like her son, Justin. She was sassy and outspoken, but she truly had a heart of gold. And, although she maybe loud and embarrassing sometimes, she never wanted to humiliate her family. She was the type of person that anyone could fall in love with.

Noah Moriarty, on the other hand, reminded Alex of Justin. They had the same looks (besides their eyes), and for the most part, the same personality. Except Noah, was a lot more laid back when it came to less serious things. He loved to tell jokes and laugh, and on the rare occasion pull a prank. Although, when it came to work or disciplining his sons, he became more pensive and solemn.

This wasn't the first time Alex had spent time with Justin or his parents, Justin and her were friends when they were younger, but for some reason Justin just seemed different. He wasn't as uptight as he usually was, and Alex liked it. She just hoped he would be more like this when he started working for her parents.

**A/N: I'm sorry, the first few chapters will be a little bit boring, but I promise it will get better. Also, I do NOT own Wizards of Waverly Place or it's characters, all rights go to the people who were involved in the show. Finally, I would like to say Thank You too randomsmileyperson and Santana123, you're my first reviews and that means a lot.**


	3. Chapter 3

A month had passed, and Justin had already become a valued employee at the Waverly Place Substation. He's punctual, he works really hard, and he always goes the extra mile for the customers. For some reason, he has a way with people, and that alone irritates Alex. Don't get her wrong, she actually doesn't really mind that he works at the shop, but being compared to him all the time, bothers her.

xxx

Currently, the Friday night dinner rush was in full swing, and customers were pouring in through the double doors. As the chaos continued in the restaurant, Theresa noticed Alex seemed to be missing from the madness. Figuring her daughter was probably trying to skip out on her shift, Theresa made her way up to the loft.

Looking around the dimly lit apartment, she wasn't surprised to see Alex sprawled out on the length of the couch, with one of her favorite art and fashion magazine's laying across her chest.

Walking over to Alex, Theresa reached out and grabbed one of her shoulders, lightly shaking her awake, "Alex, come on, wake up. We need you down stairs."

Slowly opening her eyes, Alex looked at her mother, "But mom, I just got comfortable." Alex whined, snuggling deeper into the couch.

"No buts, if you aren't down stairs in the next five minutes, your on dish duty with your father." Theresa said as she headed for the Sub shop.

Sighing loudly, Alex jumped off the couch, and quickly heading for the stairs. Making her way down to the shop, she was surprised to see how many people that were actually eating their. Friday nights were usually busy, but they were never this packed, and to be completely honest, her father's sandwiches kind of tasted like cardboard.

Walking over to the cash register, she reached under the counter and grabbed her apron.

"Nice of you to join us." Alex heard Justin say as he passed by her.

Turning around, Alex faced Justin through the window of the kitchen, "Don't you have someone's sandwich to make, Moriarty?" Alex said annoyed, narrowing her eyes.

"Don't you have someone's order to take, Russo?" Justin retorted.

"Oh, shut up."

"I think someone woke up on the wrong side of the couch today." Justin yelled as Alex walked away from him.

'This is going to be a long night.' she thought.

xxx

After four hours of taking orders and serving sandwiches, the shop was closed, and everyone was beat.

"Is there anything else you guys need help with before I go home?" Justin asked, looking at Theresa and Jerry.

"It's okay Justin, you have done enough today, but before you go I'm going to go get your paycheck upstairs." Theresa announced.

Sitting at one of the bar stools, Alex turned towards her father, "Remind me again why he gets paid, but I don't."

Laughing, Jerry looked towards Alex, "One; he isn't one of my kids, so I can't exploit him, and two; he comes to work everyday and shows up on time." Jerry explained, emphasizing the last part.

"I'm lazy, I get it." Alex replied rolling her eyes. "Although, at least I have friends and a social life, unlike this dork who runs for student body president."

"Running for student body president isn't a bad thing Alex, and if I win, it will give me responsibility and the power to change things at our school. By the way, I have friends."

Getting up from her seat, Alex walked toward Justin, who was sitting at one of the round tables, bending down closer to his face, she explained, "Oh really? You have Zeke, and the last time I checked, 'friends' is a plural word."

Looking her in the eyes, Justin smiled, "So, the famous 'to cool for school' Alex, does pay attention in class." he said in a mocking tone.

"Don't try and change the subject, you know I'm right."

"Alex, leave Justin alone."

"But why daddy? He's so easy to make fun of." she exclaimed, ruffling Justin's hair.

"Okay, Alex that's enough." Theresa said as she made her way back into the shop. "Here you go Justin, and I am sorry Alex is annoying you."

"It's alright, I've dealt with it my whole life, she just jealous of me. Thanks for the check."

"Yes, very jealous." Alex replied sarcastically. "But anyways, I was just thinking, do you needed any help with campaigning for student body president?"

"That's nice of you Alex." Theresa said surprised.

"Wait, you want to help me? Ten seconds ago you thought it was stupid." Justin said in disbelief.

"I know, but if you won, I know our school would be in good hands, so I want to help." she said innocently.

"You know, I really don't trust you, but I do need help, so I'll let you pass out flyers or something."

"Great, you won't regret it." Alex devilishly smiled.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: These next few chapters are going to be based off of the episodes Detention Election and Eat to the Beat. I do not own anything from the show or these episodes. I want to say Thank You to randomsmileyperson, roganjalex, Santana123, delenalover2, and a unknown reviewer. Your reviews mean a lot to me. I appreciate any review, even if you don't have a account, so if your reading this I would love to hear your opinion. **

"**You, Alex Russo, are actually going to help someone?" Harper said, as she stood next to the lockers at their school.**

"**You say it like it's a bad thing." Alex said, rifling through her messy locker.**

"**Well, I'm not so sure it is a good thing, especially since out of all the people you could choose to help, you pick Justin Moriarty. I thought you couldn't stand him." **

"**He's okay, I guess, and I can be nice Harper." **

"**Really Alex, that's your best argument?" **

**Facing Harper, Alex sighed, "Fine, I'll tell you the truth. Last week I got in trouble with Mr. Laritate, and since I already have detention, he's forcing me to do something "good" for the school. So, I figured I'd help Justin with his stupid election, because you and I both know he needs it." **

**Harper smiled, "Well, surprisingly enough, that is nice of you. I'm proud, maybe you are starting to grow up." **

"**Oh, don't get me wrong, I still plan to be sneaky and underhanded, and if he wins the election, he'll owe me." **

"**What do you mean?" **

"**Like I said before Harper, we both know he can't win alone, so if I help him and he wins, he'll owe me a favor. Besides, the other night he brought up a good point, he said that if he becomes student body president he will hold some sort of power at the school. So I was thinking, when he wins, I could convince him to do something entertaining for the school, because let's face it, your lunchtime Shakespearean plays aren't cutting it." Alex explained, shaking her head. **

"**Hey! They aren't that bad!" Harper yelled. **

"**Really? You're the only one in the plays, you play all the parts. I hate to break it to you, but it's kind of sad." **

"**Good point." Harper said, feeling slightly defeated. **

**xxx **

**As lunchtime approached, Justin went around the school looking for Alex. Spotting her, Justin handed her a handful of papers, "What are you doing!?" Alex said, nearly dropping the stack. **

"**You said you wanted to help, so here you go, all you have to do is pass out the flyers." said Justin. **

**Gripping the papers a little tighter, Alex glanced at him, "Could you be any more unoriginal? You need to think more creative, I mean come on, you are a wizard." she said the last part quietly. **

"**I am not going to use magic." Justin whispered. **

"**If you won't, I will." she said in a sing song voice. **

"**Alex, no! Nothing good ever happens when you involve magic." **

**Rolling her eyes, she replied, "Magic is a waste with you." **

**xxx **

**The week had passed and the weekend had arrived. Currently, Justin was on the first level of his parents apartment, making himself a cup of tea. Finishing up, he made his way over to the dark brown couch that was set in front of a wooden coffee table, and a large flat screen TV that was mounted to the burgundy wall. Sitting down, Justin got comfortable and closed his eyes. Taking a deep breath, Justin finally relaxed. **

**No less than two minutes later, the doorbell rang. Sighing, Justin made his way over to the metal door, and he was surprised to see who was behind it. **

"**Mr. Laritate, what are you doing here?" **

"**I'm here to take you to detention, Mr. Moriarty." he said, calmly. **

"**Excuse me!" **

"**I'm as surprised as anybody, but I don't want to hear it, you're coming with me." **

"**But, I didn't do anything!" he exclaimed. **

**xxx **

**Making his way over to Mr. Laritate's office, Justin still couldn't figure out what he had done wrong.**

"**Mr. Laritate, what did I do!?" **

"**You'll find out soon enough." **

**Looking around the small room, Justin saw all of the other problem students that he would inevitably be spending the next few hours with, he wasn't surprised in the least to see Alex. **

"**What are you doing here? Did the teachers finally get annoyed by you turning your homework in early?" Alex said, laughing. **

"**Mr. Laritate you've got to get me out of here!" Justin said, ignoring Alex. **

**Finally finding the right key to his office, Mr. Laritate opened the door, "I'm sorry son, but somebody has vandalized my office, and every clue has got your face written all over it." **

**Walking into the office, Justin was stunned. Every single inch of the room was covered in his 'Justin is Just-in Time' flyers, he didn't know what to say. **

"**Alright everybody, take your seats, detention starts now." Looking down, Justin sat in a near by chair. **

**Sitting down next to him, Alex smiled. "How do you like it?" she asked. **

**Quickly turning his head towards Alex, Justin looked angry, "Did you do this!?" **

"**What do you think Justin?" she said, tilting her head.**

"**What the hell Alex, what's wrong with you? I thought you were going to help me, not get me in trouble." **

"**Calm down drama queen, you'll be fine, besides this is a good thing." **

"**How so?" Justin asked, impatiently. **

"**You wanted more votes, and this is a great way to get them Justin. If people think you pulled off this prank, I can guarantee that most of the people in this room will vote for you." **

"**So, you decide to help me by getting me in trouble. The election is on Monday, not too many people are going to hear about this anyway, plus I don't want to be known for vandalizing the principal's office." **

"**Trust me, people will hear about this, and after the election is over, I'll tell Mr. Laritate that I did it."**

**Turning away from Alex, Justin ran a hand through his hair, "Why are you going to so much trouble to help me?" **

"**It's not trouble when you like to pull pranks Justin." **

"**Fine, just don't do anything like this again." he said, trying to relax in the cushioned chair. **


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: This chapter comes from the episode Eat to the Beat. I do not own this episode, or the dialogue I used from it. All rights go to the people who worked on this episode. Also, a big thanks to JHABEA143, randomsmileyperson, and Santana123. Thank you, your reviews mean a lot to me as always. Enjoy the chapter!**

**Tribeca Prep **

Gathered outside of Mr. Laritate's office, a small group of Tribeca Prep students anxiously awaited to hear who would become their new senior student body president. Noticing that Justin was probably going to win, Justin's competitor and longtime best friend, Zeke Beakerman, walked over to him.

"Justin, it looks like you're pulling ahead." Zeke said, sounding slightly disappointed.

Glancing at Mr. Laritate, both Justin and Zeke watched as he counted the last few votes in the ballot box.

"Two hundred for Zeke, two hundred and six for Justin." Mr. Laritate said to the young girl who was tallying the votes.

Turning back around, Zeke smiled and faced Justin, "I'm good with it, I did some soul searching, and I voted for you." he said, giving Justin a pat on the arm.

Smiling back at Zeke, Justin explained, "And if I had voted, I would have voted for you too buddy."

"You didn't vote?"

Shaking his head, Justin replied, "Nope."

"What kind of citizen are you?!" Zeke said, looking away from Justin, angered by what he had just admitted.

"And Justin Moriarty wins by a total of six votes." Mr. Laritate declared to the room full of students.

"Uh, Mr. Laritate, I would like to withdraw my vote." Zeke said, pointing his finger at the blue and white ballet box.

"Okay… Justin wins by five votes."

Smiling and turning back towards Justin, Zeke shook his hand and congratulated him.

"However, since Justin pranked my office, I'm afraid he's disqualified." Mr. Laritate said sternly.

"What?!" Justin yelled.

"Hold on, hold on, don't get you're bolo tie in a twist, Justin didn't do it." Alex announced, as she made her way into the school, passing through the groups of people.

"And if he didn't who did, Ms. Russo?" Mr. Laritate asked, crossing his arms.

"I did."

"Alright fine, we have a confession. Justin Moriarty is you're new student body president, but Alex, you're in a lot of trouble, come to my office after school." he said before walking back to his office.

"I know the drill Mr. Laritate."

Feeling shocked and excited at the same time, Justin walked closer to Alex, "This is amazing, the votes you got me put me over the top, thank you Alex."

"You're welcome… but you owe me."

Dropping his smile, Justin sighed, "What now?"

"Well, now that you have power at school, I'm thinking I might have to take advantage of it."

"Oh, so this is why you helped me, so you could use me as student body president?"

"Yes, but I can assure you that wasn't the only reason."

Rolling his eyes, Justin sighed again, "Fine, but nothing drastic."

Alex smiled, "Change the lunch time entertainment, because I can't stand it anymore, I want something more fun, like a band."

Thinking for a moment, Justin replied, "That's really all you want?"

"Yes."

"Okay then, deal."

xxx

**School Cafeteria **

Walking through the cafeteria with a tray full of food, Alex was just about to sit down at a near by lunch table with her friend Stevie, when she was stopped by Justin.

"Hey Alex, I got the lunch time concerts you asked for. Who's the best president ever? This guy." he said, straightening out his suit.

"Great!" Alex smiled.

"Yes, twenty-five minutes everyday of smooth jazz."

"Smooth jazz? I asked for a band."

"Hey, I delivered on my promise of music, and you never clarified what type of band you wanted."

"Well, I definitely didn't want this." Alex replied in an angered tone.

"Just relax and enjoy the music Alex." he said, casually leaving the cafeteria.

xxx

**Russo's Loft **

"So he didn't get the band you wanted, you can't really do anything about it." Harper explained to Alex as they both sat on the orange couch in the living room

"Oh, there are a lot of things I could do, but most of them involve me trying to physically hurt Justin."

"The music isn't that bad Alex."

"It's not the music that irritates me, it's the fact that Justin totally ignored what I wanted." Alex said, as she reached for one of her magazines on the coffee table.

"So, what are you going to do about it?"

Alex didn't reply at first, but as she started to flip through the magazine, she got an idea.

Looking up at Harper, Alex had a smile plastered across her face. Turning the magazine around, Alex pointed to an ad for a rock band called 'UGHH'.

"Oh no." Harper said. She new what Alex was hinting at, and she didn't like it.

"Oh yes. We're going to get them to play at our school. Justin will have a heart attack." she said still smiling.

"I am not helping you, you're on your own." Harper said, shaking her head vigorously.

"You don't have to, I was planning on using magic anyway."

xxx

**School Cafeteria **

Walking into the cafeteria, Alex smiled. She couldn't wait to see what would transpire in the next hour. She had called off the band Justin had booked, and used magic to persuade 'UGHH' into playing a free gig. As the bell rang, the room filled with students in a matter of seconds. Sitting down at one of the tables, Alex watched as the band finished setting up their instruments.

Minutes later, Justin walked into the lunch area, looking at the band, he was confused. After a moment, Justin knew only one person that could be behind this.

Walking over to Alex, Justin was mad, "What's going on here?!"

Standing up, Alex grinned at Justin, "Don't you like the new band?"

"Like hell I do."

Laughing, Alex replied, "Well, that's what you get for not getting the bands I wanted."

"This isn't a fucking joke Alex, I'm pulling the plug on this!"

"No you're not!"

"Yes I am, because I'm the president!"

"You might be president of the school, but I'm president of getting the things I want, and I want this." Alex was pissed.

"Not everything is always about you."

"Yes it is! I'm the one who got you elected, because everybody knows you wouldn't have been able to do it alone."

"Oh, really!?"

"Yes, look at yourself! Do you really think people would have voted for you? You're wearing a suit and carrying around a big cookbook, because you think you look professional! You're a fucking joke Justin!"

At this point, the entire room was silent, no one had ever seen Alex, or Justin act this way, especially towards one another.

Stopping for a moment, Justin just looked at Alex.

Clearing his throat, Justin calmed down, "Is that how you really feel Alex?"

Walking closer to him, Alex replied in a nasty tone, "Yes."

"Fine… I won't bother you anymore." he said looking Alex directly in the eye.

"I won't bother any of you anymore." Justin yelled to the rest of the room, throwing down the cookbook.

Alex winced when the book hit the ground.

Looking at her one last time, Justin turned around and left the cafeteria.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I am sorry I haven't updated in a while, but school started and I've been really busy. I didn't mean for this chapter to take as long as it has, but to be completely honest this chapter was extremely hard for me to write. That being said, I am really sorry this chapter sucks, but I did my best. I know this chapter is kind of rushed, but I want to get this story moving. Updates are going to take me little bit longer, but I promise that the chapters will be longer like this one. I DO NOT OWN Wizards, and please enjoy! **

Alex Russo has never been one to admit her faults willingly, no matter how bad the circumstances, but the fight she had with Justin was a mistake and she knew it. It had never been her intention to say the things she did, it was the heat of the moment, and she regretted it.

It had only been a few weeks since the fight, but things had definitely changed between Justin and Alex. Justin had quit his job at the shop, claiming he was too swamped with homework to be working at the Sub Station; this effectively stopped any interaction with Alex. Her parents bought the lie easily, but Alex knew better than that, he was avoiding her, especially since he would bypass any attempt she made to approach him. She knew sooner or later she was going to have to face him.

xxx

Figuring she had put this off long enough, Alex finally working up enough courage, and decided today was the day she was going to apologize. Apologies may not be her forte, but she was determined to confront Justin about her actions.

Dressed in tight navy blue jeans and a bright floral tank top, Alex slipped on her black boots, before heading for the front door. Once in the hallway, she made a few quick strides to the right, until she made it to the Moriarty's. Taking in a deep breath and then letting it out slowly, she raised her hand to knock on the door.

Moments later, the door swung open to reveal a very surprised looking Noah Moriarty. Slightly confused, he cleared his throat and then spoke, "Uh…. hello, Alex. Is there something I can help you with?"

Lightly smiling, she asked, "Yes, I was wondering if I could talk to Justin?"

"I would say yes, but he isn't here right now. The comic book store opened a few weeks ahead of schedule, and he started his first shift an hour ago. He should be home around eight o'clock, if you want to come back." he said, glancing at the silver watch that was wrapped around his right wrist.

Disappointed, she sighed, "Thanks anyway."

Looking at Alex a little more carefully, Noah noticed how stressed and troubled she looked. Stopping her before she could leave, he asked, "Is everything alright, you seem kind of out of it?"

"Oh… well, Justin and I got into a bad fight a few weeks ago, and I wanted to apologize to him."

He was even more surprised to hear her say that. "If you want, you could probably go down to the store, he shouldn't be too busy."

"I'll do that, thanks again."

Smiling, he replied, "Anytime, and if you wouldn't mind, could you tell your dad that the Mets crushed the Yankees. He told me he missed the game."

Laughing at the abrupt change in conversation, Alex agreed, "Yeah, I'll tell him."

xxx

Leaving the apartment building, Alex noticed that the sun was starting to set. Quickly making her way down the street, she wanted to get to the comic book store before it got too dark.

Alex enjoyed walking down the streets of New York, it was calming to her in some weird way, but she preferred do that during the daytime. She knew how dangerous New York could get at night, and she really didn't want to be confronted by any creepy men.

Making her way around the last corner that led to the store, Alex's nerves started to set in. She still wasn't quite sure of what she was going to say to Justin, but she was going to have to work the words 'I'm sorry' into the conversation somehow.

Pulling the glass door open, she walked in, and it surprised her to see how much the place had changed, granted the store had just reopened after renovation, but when she was a kid this place was a lot more boring and a little less colorful. She had always hated it when her little brother, Max, would force her and her mother into this store, to get his precious little Pokémon cards.

Looking around the room, old framed comic strips and posters lined the light blue walls. In various places of the store, glass cases held extremely collectable knickknacks, trading cards, and action figures ranging from the most famous superheroes to the lesser known characters. Filling the rest of the store, isles of assorted comic books sat neatly on the shelves. Alex couldn't help but think this was Justin's heaven on earth, it made her smile.

Walking over to the cash register, she immediately got the attention of the young boy that was sitting behind the register. Quickly closing the comic book he had been reading, he gave Alex an awkward smile.

"Uh… h... how can I help you?" he said, shyly.

Giving him a small smile, she replied, "Well Stuart, I was wondering if I could talk to Justin Moriarty."

"You know my name?" he said, dazed.

"Well you are wearing a name tag, so yes; I do know your name."

Embarrassed, he looked down, "Oh yeah….. well Justin is in the storage unit, but you can go back there if you want." he explained, pointing to the far corner of the store.

Glancing at the back of the building and then back at Stuart, she smiled, "Thanks!"

Walking to the back of the store, Alex knew this was it, she was either going to confront Justin now or never. Opening the metal door, she walked in slowly. Large, brown cardboard boxes were stacked all throughout the room, some almost touching the ceiling. She couldn't see Justin, but she could hear someone moving around. Walking further into the room, she rounded a corner that was piled high with boxes. There stood Justin, his back was towards Alex, as he tried to open one of the many boxes with a pocketknife

Making her way closer to him, she gently tapped him on the shoulder. Jumping back quickly, Justin accidentally pushed Alex into the boxes, causing one of the towers to come crashing to the ground. Shocked and a little bit annoyed, Justin looked from the boxes to Alex, the second he saw who it was, his face dropped.

"What are you doing here, and what do you want?" he said with a hint of anger in his voice as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Justin, I came here to talk to you, because I need to apologize for what I did." she said, looking down.

"You're actually trying to apologize, well that's a first, but it's too bad I don't really care. So, if you would please leave, I can get back to my work." he said, turning around.

Sighing, Alex came closer to Justin, "Why won't you just listen to me for five minutes?"

Dropping his pocketknife on the box, he turned back around, shaking his head, "I am tired of listening to you, because it's a waste of my time, all you cause me is problems. And, I don't want to hear an apology, because it isn't going to change what you did. Not only did you embarrass me in front of the entire school, but you made me feel worthless, and that is something I don't take lightly." he retorted, raising his voice.

"Justin, please just listen to me." she was begging at this point.

"No! I am done with you and your bullshit!"

Now it was Alex's turn to get angry, "First of all, do not yell at me, because I don't have to be here."

"Well then just leave, because I sure as hell didn't ask you to come down here."

Ignoring his comment, Alex continued, "And second of all, you need to just get over it, and stop acting like an ass."

Justin laughed for a moment and then became very serious, walking closer to Alex, he pointed his finger at her, "You know what pisses me off the most; it's the fact that I let you, an insecure little child, run my life. And do you know what the most ironic part of this situation is?" He paused for a moment, his face coming within three inches of hers. He spoke calmly but the anger was still evident in his voice. "It's the fact that you have always needed me, yet you treat me like a piece of shit. You have never respected me!"

"Maybe I would respect you if you acted your age. You wonder why people make fun of you all the time, it's because you make it so easy for everyone. You play with action figures, read comic books, and you have an alien language league club at school. You are eighteen, not a fucking eight year old boy! Get a new hobby!"

"You're one to talk; you're the one who pulls pranks. And why the hell should my liking of comic books be any concern to you? It isn't affecting your life in any damn way. This is a pointless conversation; it's worthless just like you are!"

She slapped him; hard.

No one had ever spoken to Alex that way, and her emotions were starting to get the best of her. Backing away from Justin, Alex wiped her eyes quickly.

"You know what, fuck you!" with that, she turned around and left.

Waiting for Alex to leave the room completely, Justin sat down on one of the fallen boxes, running his fingers across his reddening cheek; he couldn't believe what had just happened.

xxx

That was the first time Alex ever cried over a guy, and although she was hurt by the things he had said, she still felt regret. She still felt the need to apologize, and that's what confused her the most. No one had ever made her feel so little and useless at the same time, but in a way, she knew she deserved it.

On the other hand, Justin felt kind of good, he had finally gotten some things off his chest, but that didn't mean he didn't feel bad about the way he had said it. He didn't mean to be that harsh, but there is only so much he could take. Ever since Alex was a little girl, she knew how to aggravate Justin, but this time she pushed him too far.

xxx

As the months passed, and the seasons changed, the school year had finally come to an end. It was graduation day, and both Justin and Alex were on edge. It was the first time, since their second fight, that they would be together at close proximity, and they were both a little anxious to see how this day would pan out. The graduation was being held at NYU's auditorium, which was kind of surprising to everyone considering how cheap Mr. Laritate could be, although it was better than trying to fit over two-thousand people in their school's tiny gym.

The ceremony was only going to be about an hour and a half long, and so far it had gone smoothly, Alex was actually starting to enjoy herself that was until Mr. Laritate announced this year's valedictorian.

"With the last speech of the night, I would like to introduce the class of 2010's valedictorian, Justin Moriarty." Mr. Laritate said, leaving the podium.

Making his way up to the stage, the crowd clapped for Justin. Pausing only for a moment, he cleared his throat before speaking, "First off, I would like to say congratulations to everyone, this is the day we have all waited for, and can you believe we finally made it?" He said, smiling as the group of enthusiastic students cheered.

"But in all seriousness, we all, in some way or another, have worked really hard to get here. After all the studying, test, and grades, we are finally done with high school, and it personally feels really weird to say that. For the last four years, all we have known is high school, and since freshmen year, we have all been trying to figure out where we want to go and who we want to be, and after today we will get to start making that dream come true. Some of us will continue on with school and learn more about the careers we would like to pursue in the future, and others will go out and get a job and continue to work their way up to the top. But after today, we won't be high school kids anymore; we'll be adults, who are going to be responsible for the choices we make in our lives. And, although these last four years have been amazing and packed full of great memories, hopefully they won't be the best four years of our lives. High school is just a stepping stone; all the people, relationship, and problem we have dealt with here at Tribeca Prep, won't matter to us in the future. We have so much to look forward to, and so much more to accomplish; the best years are yet to come, I promise you. Congratulations class of 2010, we did it!"

For some reason, an odd sense of relief washed over Alex as Justin's last few words rang throughout the building. His speech was short, but it was to the point, and Alex along with the rest of the students and parents, clapped and cheered once again.

xxx

When the ceremony finished, the new graduates scattered trying to find their awaiting family's in the mass of people. Justin had just spotted his and was about to head in their direction, when someone grabbed his forearm, and pulled him off to the side of the building.

Looking at his captor, it wasn't hard to tell who it was. Deciding it was better to follow her then resist, he let Alex pull him into one of the corners of the room. Stopping, she let go of his arm and turned around to face him, crossing his arms over his chest, he wanted to hear what she had to say.

When she looked him in the eyes, his heart dropped, she looked so dejected, and that hurt him a little bit, especially since he knew he was the reason behind her expression. Dropping his arms, he waited for Alex to say something.

"Look I just wanted to give you this without our families crowding around us." She said, pulling an envelope out of the sleeve of the blue graduation gown.

"Please, just read it when you get the chance." she said, handing him the letter.

Turning away from him, Alex started to head into the crowd of people, before she could get too far; Justin called after her, "Hey, congratulations Alex." he said feeling slightly awkward.

Facing him one last time, she gave him a halfhearted smile, "Congratulations, Justin."

xxx

Making it through the rest of the night, Justin celebrated his graduation with only a small portion of his massive Italian family. Going back to his parent's house for dinner, coffee, and desert, Justin visited with his relatives. And although his family had very loud and engaging conversations, he couldn't get Alex off his mind. He wanted to know what was in the letter, but he was going to have to wait until he could open it in private. It was killing him.

After a few more hours, his family started to say their goodbyes. After hugging and thanking each of them for coming out to celebrate with him, Justin was finally able to retire to his own bedroom. Flipping the lights on and walking over to his desk, he emptied out the back pocket of his dress pants. Sitting down, he quickly opened the letter and began to read.

_Justin- _

_I know you still hate me but please hear me out, and finish this whole letter. I don't really know what exactly I am going to say because I feel like it will never be enough, but I mean every word. Justin, I want and need you to know that I am truly sorry for everything that I have done. I'm sorry for the fights that I have caused, and I'm sorry for ruining whatever relationship we had. I'm sorry, and whether that means anything to you or not, I feel like I need to say it. I promise you that I never meant to intentionally hurt you, it was a stupid joke that went way too far, and I regret it every day._ _I wouldn't admit this to anyone else, but I do miss you and care about you, Justin. You may be dorky and gullible, but you are a really good guy, who always has the best intentions, and that is something I miss in my life. You were always there for me, and I'm sorry I never returned the favor. I apologize if I have wasted your time, but I needed to tell you this. _

Folding the letter back up, he set it to the side as he leaned back in his chair. Justin really couldn't believe that Alex would even write something like that. She sounded so mature and he was really surprised. He hadn't actually told her this, but he had forgiven her a while ago. Truth be told, he knew he wouldn't have been able to stay mad at her even if he really wanted to, she has always had a hold over him.

Grabbing a sheet of paper and a pen, he was going to write her back. He had said some pretty nasty things that he regretted; he just needed a little time to find the right words.

xxx

Finishing yet another horrifically boring shift at the Sub Shop, Alex made her way up the spiral staircases, heading for her bedroom. Opening the door and walking into the pitch black room, she didn't bother to turn on the lights. It had been about three weeks since the graduation and Alex had pretty much lost all hope in Justin. The letter was her last attempt at forgiveness, and she really thought it would have worked. She had done her best to apologize, but he wouldn't respond to her.

Slowly making her way over to the bed, she was careful not to trip. Crawling on to the mattress, she laid down trying to get comfortable. Flipping to left and then back to her right, she felt like she was laying on something. Smoothing her hand down the bedspread her fingers came in contact with what felt like paper. Grabbing and waving her wand the lights immediately turned on. Looking down at the bed she noticed that it was a letter, opening her eyes wider she not only saw her name on the cover but she saw Justin's too.

Sitting up, she grabbed the letter and started to rip it open; unfolding it she smiled when she saw his handwriting.

_Alex- _

_First of all, I would like to say thank you for the letter, I really appreciate it, but most importantly I need you to know that I do forgive you. I overreacted that day in the cafeteria and I blew everything out of proportion. I know that you never meant to hurt my feelings. On the other hand, our second fight is a different story. What you said at the store that day really affected me and it made me feel bad about myself, but I realized that you were right. No one is going to respect me or trust me if I'm at home playing with stupid dolls. So, I took your advice, and found some new interests. I would also like to apologize for the things that I said. Alex, you are not worthless and I should have never said that to you, it was a mistake. I am also sorry that I didn't let you apologize that day, it would have saved us from a lot of conflict, but I was being an asshole. Anyways, I am glad that you read this letter, and I hope we both can just put the past behind us. _

_PS: You slap hard! I won't cross you again, I promise._

Alex smiled as she read the last part, she was happy, things were finally right again.

Little did she know that would be the last time they would ever really speak.

**A/N: I really hope you guys liked it! I know it was rushed but I'm over it, this was a pain to write, and I just wanted to finish it.**

**Thanks to: **

**Smithsbabe65- The fact that you are reading my story means so much to me, so please keep reviewing and you can critique me as much as you want. I take it to heart, and I really appreciate it. **

**randomsmileyperson- Your reviews always mean a lot to me, so thank you very much! I have to say that I love your story, My Bad Boy. I am always happy to see a new chapter. **

**Santana123- I really appreciate your reviews, so please keep them coming. I also really enjoy your story, Missing Sparks. It's a fun story, and I am looking forward more chapters. **

**JHABEA143- Thank you for reviewing, it really does mean a lot. **

**delenalover2- Thank you very much for the reviews, and I will try to update as fast as I can. **


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Long time no see. Well it's been a while and I am very sorry about that, but if you're willing to stick around, I promise I will finish this story. I would like to say thank you to everyone who has continued to read this story, whether you have reviewed or not it still means a lot. Also, I want you to know that this is kind of a filler chapter but there is a little bit of a twist at the end that I think you guys will like. Anyways, let's move on to chapter seven. Enjoy! **

Although Justin and Alex had forgiven each other, their relationship had in some ways been permanently affected by their fight. They weren't mad at each other anymore, but for some reason it was hard for them to be around each other. It was awkward and that was one emotion that they never felt towards one another. Granted, they hardly ever saw each other considering they weren't in school anymore and they didn't work in the same place, but on the rare occasion they would see each other at the Substation or in the hallway of their building, a simple greeting was as far as any conversation went. Unfortunately that was how it stayed throughout the summer. Meanwhile, Justin worked full time and in his free time he would plan to go back to school, and Alex, well she didn't do much.

The Moriarty's also had surprise up their sleeves, they were moving. Due to some work related issues, Noah Moriarty had to move his business to New Jersey. He owned a restoration shop for cars, and was in the process of expanding, the only problem was finding space in New York was next to impossible. He had found a great spot, it was the perfect size and it met all of his criteria, but was over an hour away from their home in Waverly Place, so after a long debate, Noah and Ava had decided it would be best to move the family. Justin didn't really mind that much; he described it as more of a 'bitter sweet' type of situation. Waverly Place had been his home since he was a baby; he knew it like the back of his hand, but on the other hand moving to Long Island would mean new and different opportunities, so he was looking forward to that. Fortunately Justin would have the best of both worlds, he was planning on going to Colombia on a full ride scholarship, and because of the move he was going to live on campus, meaning he wouldn't be too far from his old Waverly Place home. Although, not everyone in the Moriarty family was thrilled about the move, Justin's brother, Dean, wasn't so willing to go, he would be staring his senior year of high school, and wasn't up for the task of meeting new people and making new friends at a new school. Unfortunately for Dean, his parents mind was already made up.

The news of the Moriarty's move came to Alex only hours before they would head off to their new home. She was upset to say the least, she was not only bothered by them moving, but she was bothered by the fact that no one had thought to even tell her about it. Her mom and dad knew, heck, even Harper and Max knew. She may not have been close to Justin anymore but that didn't mean she didn't care.

Luckily, she did get to say a quick goodbye to the family of four as they headed out of the building. Staying at the entrance, Alex watched as they all got into their respective cars. Justin was the last to leave and the only one who looked back at Alex as she stood in front of the building. Giving him a small smile, she lifted her hand up to wave. Smiling back at her, Justin watched her for a moment before waving back. They both knew this would probably be the last time they would see each other, and an unsettling since of sadness washed over the both of them as they looked at one another, this was it. Getting in his car, he looked at her one last time before driving away. Justin couldn't help but think this was more of the bitter side of leaving.

_Six Years Later _

It was a normal day for the residents of New York City. It was the beginning of November and winter was coming full force, people were bundled up in their warm coats as they walked the streets of New York. The sky was dark, looking as gloomy as ever, but every once in a while the setting sun would peek through the breaks in the ashy clouds. It had been raining on and off for the last week, but for the most part everyone welcomed the rain. It was refreshing.

It was around six o'clock on a Thursday, and rush hour was in full swing, car horns were blaring and people were yelling, just like any other day. Justin Moriarty was listening to his headphones as he walked down the street, heading home after a long day at work. For him it was just another day, nothing really exciting to report. Keeping him warm as he walked the streets he wore a short black overcoat with a large black beanie and a light blue ¾ sweater, his jeans were dark blue and his shoes were an old pair of dark brown, toe capped Morrison raw boots, which were almost necessary for his job.

He worked as an apprentice/assistant at a large construction company called Warner's Construction, and had been there for a little over two years. He had majored in Business and Civil Engineering when he had gone to college, which had shocked his parents. His mother had always thought he would have done something that involved medicine considering Justin had always talked about going to medical school, his father on the other hand had hoped Justin would want to work at the family business, and one day own it, but unfortunately for Noah, Justin had other plans, which had undoubtedly created a rift in Justin and Noah's already difficult relationship. Although his academic choices were surprising, for him it was a natural decision, he had always had a passion for building that no one really knew about, and Justin enjoyed his job for the most part. The only hard part of his job was his boss, who was also the owner of the company. His name was Warner Greco, a older, balding Greek man who had a very intimidating personality. He was a ruff looking man, who had broad shoulders, and stood over six feet tall, needless to say he wasn't the type of man you would ever want to anger. Another daunting quality of his strong-armed boss was the fact that he loved to work people, both physically and mentally. This wasn't necessarily foreign territory for Justin, considering he had grown up with Alex, but the people that Warner hired never really worked there long, Justin was so far the only employee that had worked there for over a year.

And although you wouldn't think that a man like Mr. Greco had a soft bone in his body, when it came to his wife or his daughter, he would turn into a completely different person, which was kind of a relief for Justin. It was nice to know that his boss had other emotions other than anger and frustration. Although his boss would, at times, drive him crazy, there was one thing that Justin really admired about Warner Greco, and that was his work ethic. Mr. Greco wasn't the type of man who would cut corners, or take the easy way out, he did things from start to finish and he did them the right way, and that was something Justin really respected. He had learned a lot from Mr. Greco.

Making his way into his apartment building, Justin made his way up to the third floor. He lived alone in a two bedroom apartment in Little Italy. It was a nice area, the apartment was pretty good sized, and it was close to his work. Although, living alone did bring him one problem; his mother was constantly worrying about him. She would call and check up on him about four times a week, although he appreciated the concern, having to reassure her that he was fine did get a little repetitive.

Grabbing his keys from his jacket pocket, he unlocked his door, and made his way inside. He was greeted with a high pitched bark, as his legs were being attacked by two small paws. Shutting the door completely and flipping on the light, Justin quickly took off his jacket and hung it up on the coat rack that sat next to the door. Bending down slightly, Justin acknowledged the little black and brown puppy at his feet.

"How have you been buddy?!" he asked, as he pet the dog with both hands. Walking further into his apartment, Justin walked into the kitchen, opened one of the wooden cabinets, and got out the bag of dog food; which quickly caught the attention of the puppy. Whining and barking, the dog was jumping up and down as he saw his food being poured into a little black bowl. Grabbing the food and moving away from the counter, Justin held the bowl over the dogs head as he continued to jump.

"Come on Gepp, you have to sit." Justin said assertively. The dog, Geppetto, or Gepp for short, immediately took the hint and quickly sat down. Putting the bowl of food on the ground, Justin pet the dogs head one last before making his way into the living room to turn on the lamp that what next to his couch.

Throwing himself on the brown leather couch, Justin yawned before looking around his pretty much empty apartment. These were the times he hated living alone the most, it was always quiet; too quiet, and he never knew what to do with himself. Most days after work he would come home, sit alone on his couch and watch TV until he fell asleep. In fact, sleeping was all he ever wanted to do anymore, he loved his job but working from 5 a.m. to 6 p.m. wasn't ideal. It was sad to think that at twenty-four years old, he already had a routine lifestyle.

His ringing cell phone interrupted his thoughts. Reaching into his jean pocket, he grabbed his cell phone and answered the call.

"Hello?" He said in a monotone voice.

"Justin! I didn't think you would pick, but where are you?"

"I'm home. What's up Tom?"

Tom was Justin's old friend from college; they had shared a dorm room and quite a few classes throughout their four years at Columbia, and since then they had become good friends. Tom was also interested the construction business, and shared a goal with Justin of creating their own construction company.

"Well, I've got pizza, beer, and the Rangers game is on, Elizabeth is hanging out with her friends, and I thought you would like to come and watch the game."

"Yeah, sure. I'll be there in a few minutes." Hanging up the phone and getting off the couch, Justin walked to the door and grabbed his keys. Peering back into the kitchen, he looked at his dog.

"Well, are you coming?"

xxx

Sitting at her desk, Alex Russo was currently trying to finish up on some paper work for her job, and as shocking as that may sound, she did have an actual profession, that required her to be a willing participant in society. Alex had come a long way in the past six years of her life, and you could say she had become a slightly different person.

After Justin left, Alex, well she had definitely changed. Don't get me wrong she was still her outspoken and lazy self, but after he left she became more of a respectable person. She realized she was going to be solely responsible for her own actions and problems from that point on and that scared her, because let's face it, growing up; she always had Justin, the crutch, to fall back on when she messed up. Now that he wasn't here, reality set in and she was being forced to stand on her own two feet, it was hard for her at first but in many ways it was also good for her. Throughout the years she was able to go to and graduate from an art college, and get a real job to support herself. Many people were shocked to see how much she had grown up, especially her parents. Theresa and Jerry never really understood her sudden change in demeanor, and they definitely knew better than to question it, but they were none the less proud that their daughter was taking control of her life. They were just glad they didn't have to worry as much about her, now on the other hand their son, Max, was a completely different story.

"Alex, are you almost done? We're really late, and Lizzie is going to kill us." Harper asked in a worried tone. Alex had been avoiding this part of her job for the last two weeks, the only problem was, she and Harper were suppose to be heading out to go meet their friend at one of the nicer restaurants in New York.

"Yeah I know, I'm finishing up right now."

Alex, Harper, and their friend, Lizzie, all worked for Harding Magazine, one of the country's most respected fashion magazines.

Getting up from her chair, she gathered the papers that were spread across her semi-organized desk, throwing them into a random drawer. Turning off her lamp and grabbing her purse, "Come on Harper." She said as she began walking to the exit of the building.

xxx

After knocking on the door, Justin stood and waited with is dog for a few moments before the door swung open, revealing his shaggy haired friend.

"Hey man, come on in… And I see you brought trouble with you." He said, looking down at the rambunctious, German shepherd puppy.

"He isn't going to chew up my shoes again is he?"

Justin laughed, "Yeah, I'm really sorry about that, but no he isn't. He learned from the last time." He said as he walk into the apartment.

"Well good, I wouldn't want to have to replace my brand new running shoes. Anyways, the pizzas on the counter, beers are in the refrigerator, and the game is already on."

xxx

"Thank God, there you two are! I've been sitting here for almost an hour, they almost kicked me out, where were you guys?" the petite, blonde, named Lizzie said, looking at her two friends as they stood in front of the table.

Sitting down, Harper apologized, "Sorry, but Alex was procrastinating at work and was trying to finish her paperwork."

"Alex didn't do her work on time, what else is new?" Lizzie said in a sarcastic tone of voice.

Alex was still standing in front of the table, but now she had her arms crossed as she looked at her friends, "I'm sorry I was late, but are you two done yet?"

"Yes, we're done, now sit, I want to ask you guys something."

After sitting down and giving their orders to a very impatient waiter, both Alex and Harper looked toward Lizzie waiting for her to speak.

"Okay, tomorrow we are having a early birthday for my boyfriend, Tom, at one of the bars near our apartment, and I was wondering if you two would like to come."

After taking a few moments to think about it, Alex had agreed to go but Harper had declined.

"Come on Harper, you have to come."

"Yeah, it'll be fun."

"I'm sorry but I really can't go. I already promised Zeke we would go to a clogging festival in Newark this weekend, we leave tomorrow. Plus, the last time I was in a bar with you two, I had to drag you both out before you got into a fight with the bartender."

"First of all, that was one time and the bartender was being a jerk, and second of all, this is different. It's my boyfriend's birthday party, but if you can't go I understand. But really, clogging?"

Sighing, Harper rolled her eyes, "Yeah, I know it sounds ridiculous, but he likes it and I'm not going to tell him we can't go."

Completely changing the conversation, Alex looked towards Lizzie, "So, since this is your boyfriend's party, I've been thinking, does he have any single friends, and are they going to be there?"

Laughing slightly, Lizzie glanced at Alex, "Well, I'm not really sure who's going, Tom invited most of them, but there is one guy and he's really cute but I don't think he's your type."

"What, cute isn't my type?"

"No Alex, that's not what I meant. He's a really good guy, but he's kind of a workaholic and he doesn't get out much. He just isn't the type of guy I could ever see you with."

xxx

Sitting in front of a flat screen TV, both Justin and tom ate and drank as they watched their favorite hockey team, the New York Rangers, lose to the Chicago Blackhawks.

"Come on, just get the damn puck! Man, our defense sucks this season." Justin said taking another sip of his beer.

"I know, they are literally giving away every point!" Tom said as the TV went to a commercial.

"So Justin, how have you been? I feel like I haven't seen you in a while." Tom asked, pushing his dark blonde hair out of his eyes, so he could look at his friend.

Justin sighed, "Okay I guess, I haven't really been doing much, except for work. What about you, how are you and Lizzie doing?"

Smiling as he thought about his girlfriend, Tom answered, "We're doing great actually, we've been busy the last couple weeks, but overall we're good. Actually you just reminded me about something I've been meaning to ask you; tomorrow night we are going to celebrate my birthday at one of the local bars, and I really want you to come. We've invited a bunch of people and it should be a lot of fun."

"I don't know man, I have work tomorrow."

"Come on Justin, you get off work at like six, we're not even going to the bar until nine o'clock."

Getting up off the couch, Justin walked into the kitchen to grab another slice of pizza, "Fine, I'll go." he paused for a moment before continuing, "But I thought I was going to the party your dad was throwing for you? Isn't it next Saturday?" Justin said in a confused tone.

"No, that's for my dad's work. Remember how I told you my dad created Harding Magazine; well that party is for the thirtieth anniversary of the magazine."

Still confused, Justin looked at his friend, "Then why am I going?"

"Because, first of all, you need to get out more and meet new people, maybe even find a girlfriend."

Justin shook his head, "Ha ha, you're so funny."

"And secondly, I need someone to keep me sane, I would like to have at least one conversation that doesn't involve someone's clothes or shoes."

xxx

The next day was not by any means a good day for Justin at all. He had had a horrible day at work and now was unwillingly getting ready to go to his friend's party. The last thing he wanted to do was go into a loud bar, filled with a bunch of annoying people, but he had promised his friend and he definitely didn't want to let Tom down. It was around eight o'clock by the time he had finished and he wasn't really in the mood to sit around his apartment for an hour waiting for the party to start. Deciding to get there early, Justin quickly feed his dog and was out the door with the directions to the specific bar his friend had chosen. He figured if he was going to survive the next few hours of his life without being a complete kill joy, he was going to need to be a little bit buzzed to do so. He was never one to condone the use of alcohol to forget about his problems, but even with Justin there is always that one exception to the rule.

xxx

Alex, on the other hand, was actually really looking forward to this party. She went out to bars all the time, hoping she could maybe find an eligible bachelor, but in the end it would never really work out in her favor; she was surprisingly picky. At least with this party she knew there were bound to be some men her age who were single and if not, she would drink. Not having much of a dating life the past six years was really starting to get to her, and it was actually starting to become quite depressing. She wasn't the type of person who could spend the rest of her life alone. She wouldn't admit this fact to most people, mainly because she didn't want people's pity, but Alex had always dreamt of having a family of her own one day. She crossed her fingers and hoped that maybe tonight would be different, maybe she would finally meet the man she was meant to be with.

xxx

Hours had pasted and the party was in full swing. It was around two in the morning and people were still drinking, in fact, most of them were drunk, but none the less everybody was having a great time, even Justin. When the party had actually started was only slightly tipsy, but by this time he was full on intoxicated. This was mainly due to the fact he had met a girl earlier who had become his drinking buddy and encouraged him to continue to take shot after shot. He couldn't make out her face, but he thought he saw blonde hair, although he didn't dwell on her appearance for too long, because he was trying to keep his attention focused on the drinking game the two had started.

After losing for the fifth time, Justin was forced to call it quits, mainly because the bartender had cut him and his new friend off. The girl had tried to protest, but she could only manage to get out a few very slurred, incomprehensible words.

That's when things got crazy. After the girl had admitted defeat, she sat back down on the bar stool and looked at Justin for only a second before pulling him forward and kissing him. Justin was surprised at first but couldn't help but kiss back. There was something about this girl that was just so inviting, but after a while, making out wasn't enough for Justin, so he took it to the next level.

xxx

The next morning, light poured in through the windows of the small apartment, it was around ten in the morning, and Justin was still asleep. Although that didn't last very long, because shortly after he was jolted awake by one of his more frightening dreams. Opening his eyes quickly, Justin's vision was blurred and he couldn't make out his surrounding but that didn't really matter because he immediately closed his eyes. The sunlight was almost blinding and it was making his already painful headache worse. After lying back down, Justin began rubbing his temples as he tried to recall the night before. And that's when it hit him.

He remembered the girl from last night, and that's when he started to panic. He could now vaguely remember drinking with her, kissing her, and doing other things with her that he would rather not admit to. Opening his eyes with a sense of urgency, Justin looked to his left; through squinted eyes his worst fears were confirmed. Lying next to him was a girl, who was wrapped up in the plain white sheets, with her hair sprawled across her face, as she faced him. She was still asleep, but that didn't stop Justin from freaking out. Getting out of the bed as quickly and as quietly as he could, Justin did his best to try not to wake the girl. Grabbing his clothes, he put them on as fast as possible, before glancing around the room. He was relieved to find out that this wasn't his apartment, but horrified by the fact that he didn't even know this person. After putting on the last of his clothes, Justin began to walking to the exit of the room, but immediately stopped before heading out of the bedroom. Turning back around, Justin looked at the girl; there was something different about this girl. It took him a few seconds to figure it out, but the girl he was with last night he could have sworn had blonde hair, but the girl in the bed had dark brown. Walking back over to the bed, curiosity consumed Justin as he took a closer look at the girl. Bending down slightly, he slowly reached out and gently removed the hair out of her face. She was beautiful to say the least, but that's not what caught Justin's attention. Backing away from her as quickly as possible, Justin nearly flipped out; it was Alex.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Okay, the new chapter is finally up! It has taken me quite a while but it's here, better late than never, right? Before you start to read I need to clarify something, in the last chapter I said that the Moriarty's moved to Long Island, that's not correct, they moved to New Jersey, where Justin's dad has his business. I don't know why I said Long Island, but that wasn't right. Anyways, I really do hope you guys enjoy the new chapter and I'm sorry if it's a little boring, but, on the bright side, Justin and Alex do meet in this chapter. If you do enjoy this chapter, I would love it if you could review!**

His mouth went dry, his hands were numb, and his heart dropped. Running out of the room, Justin made a beeline to the living room. Glancing around the small room, he quickly spotted the thick, metal front door before rushing to it. Preoccupied, Justin didn't think to look down and immediately tripped over one of the small end tables that was sitting next to the couch. Hitting the ground hard, he knocked over one of Alex's easels with a thud that was loud enough to make the sleeping girl in the other room jolt awake.

Immediately opening her eyes, Alex looked around the room. Grabbing the sheets that surrounded her, she stood up quickly and tried her best to ignore the intruding light that was coming into her bedroom. Making her way to the door, she stopped immediately when she got to the door frame; looking down she could see two legs sticking out from behind the couch that was only a few feet in front of her. Gasping, she stood still, trying to get her mind around on what the hell she was going to do. 'Just great, the one time I actually need a wand!' Only a few seconds had passed, before Alex heard a small groan come from the man who was currently lying on the ground. Carefully taking a couple steps back into her bedroom, she grabbed onto the handle of her door. Closing it slightly, she stepped behind the door in order for some sort of protection against the 'intruder'. Shocked and overwhelmed by the situation, Alex said the first thing that came to her mind, "What do you want?"

Justin stopped breathing. 'Stupid, stupid, stupid!' he thought, mentally slapping himself. 'All you had to do was leave, now she knows you're here, just great! Just get up and leave, DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT let her see your face.'

A few moments passed before anyone said or did anything. Taking a moment to take in quiet, deep breathe, Justin planted his hands firmly on the ground and pushed up quickly, landing on his feet, he nearly tripped a second time before he made his way to the exit. Grabbing the smooth metal of the door knob, he was out the door and down the hall in a matter of seconds. Alex was still unable to move, and the pounding in her head was increasing by the second; the rough, adrenaline infused beating of her heart mixed with the hard hitting hangover-headache was a bad combination; she knew if she didn't sit down in the next thirty seconds, she was going to throw up.

Rushing to the front door, she hastily closed and locked it. Running back into her bedroom, she got under the covers and buried her head into her pillows as she took a deep breath, trying to get her emotions and nerves back in check. Focusing on her breathing for a few minutes, she was able to calm herself down. Taking in one last deep breath, Alex moved her left hand up to rub her temple in hopes to ease the pain, that's when she noticed the feeling of cool metal against her forearm. Lifting the sheets off her face, she opened her eyes to get a better look, focusing on her arm she saw a large watch wrapped around her small wrist. Running her fingers across the smooth contour and simple details of the dark grey wristwatch, she easily slipped it off her arm. Alex knew it was a man's watch, but had no idea how she got it. It was in a good condition, barley a scratch on it, in fact it seem to glimmer as the morning sun came through her windows. Turning it over she looked at its backing, Alex ran fingers across it, the initials J. V. P. M. were engraved in fancy cursive there. It was odd to her how familiar the watch was, taking a moment to think about it, that's when she remembered the night before. Alex vaguely remembered the party, the people, and the man she had met at the bar. 'This must be his.' she thought trying to recall some memory of the night before. At the same time, she also became painfully aware of the fact that she wasn't wearing any clothes. "Oh God!" she groaned, slowly putting the sheets back over her head.

xxx

Making his way down the street, Justin hastily walked passed groups of people as he tried to figure out a way to get back to his apartment. All he really wanted to do was go home, take a shower, and forget this day had ever happened. He hadn't seen Alex in over six years, and although he knew he was bound to see her again at some point, this wasn't the type of reunion he had pictured. Scanning over the street signs, he was relieved to find some familiar ones, before turning in the right direction. Walking quickly, he was able to make it to his apartment in less than twenty minutes, and immediately went to take a hot shower. After finishing, he got dressed, fed Gepp, and he walked into his living room and sat on the couch. It was quiet, like always, but for some reason it bothered him even more so now. Running his hands through his wet hair, he sighed before grabbing his cell phone and dialing Tom's number.

After a few rings, he picked up, "Hello?" Tom said in a fatigued tone of voice.

Justin couldn't help but chuckle at his friend, "It sounds like you had fun last night!"

"Yeah I guess you could say that, but I don't appreciate the aftermath, I think we partied a little too hard." he said, referring to his headache. "But hey, I can say the same about you, I saw you leaving the bar with Alex, how was your night?" Justin could hear the playfulness in his tone.

"Wait a minute, you know Alex?!"

"Well yeah, she's one of Lizzie's friends, they work together."

"Oh crap! Does Lizzie know I left with Alex?"

"I don't think so, but why? You're kind of freaking me out, what happened?"

Sighing, Justin rubbed his forehead, "Before I tell you, you have to promise you won't tell Lizzie I was with Alex."

Tom was starting to become impatient, "Yes Justin, I promise, just tell me what happened!"

"Okay! Do you remember that girl I told you about when we were in college, the one that I lived next door too on Waverly Place?"

"Uh, yeah, do you mean the one that embarrassed you in high school?"

"Yes, and thanks for reminding me, that's just what I needed." Taking a breath, Justin continued, "Well, the girl I live next too was Alex, I've known her since I was a little kid. But I haven't spoken to her, or even seen her since before I moved away, when I was eighteen. Our relationship didn't really end on the greatest of terms."

"Wait, you two dated?"

"What, no! When we were little we were like best friends, but as we kind of grew apart when we got older, and after our fall out in high school, we completely stopped talking to each other. I did eventually forgive her, but by that time our relationship had been sort of ruined."

"Okay, I'm still confused; I still don't know why you're freaking out."

"Well, when I woke up this morning I was with her, in her bed, naked! I just had a drunken one night stand with the girl I spent my entire childhood with, Tom! That's why I'm freaking out! I haven't seen her in six years, and I feel like I've violated her, I feel like I took advantage of her. This isn't exactly the setting I expect to see her again in, we ruined our relationship once, and I didn't really expect to do it again."

"Did Alex know it was you?"

"You see that's just it, I don't know. I don't think she knows, but I definitely don't want Lizzie to tell her it was me."

"Well, what are you going to do? You do know she's going to be at my dad's party this Saturday, right?"

"What, why?!"

"Justin I just told you, she works with Lizzie, and they both work for my dad. They're required to go this Saturday."

"What the hell am I going to do now? I'm not ready to see her again!"

"Justin stop acting like a girl, do you really think she would have slept with you if she had known it was you?"

"No, but…" Tom interrupted him, "But nothing, Justin. You have nothing to worry about, I may not know her as well as you do, but, no offense, I just don't think you're the type of guy she would sleep up on purpose."

"I really hope your right."

xxx

The weekend passed by quickly, very uneventfully in Alex's case, except for her little rendezvous with the mystery man, J. V. P. M. She had spent her entire weekend looking at that stupid watch, and had spent a considerable amount of time holding it, even playing with the crown of the watch, as if she would find some sort of sign of who this man was. She hadn't told anyone about her, well, her one night stand, and it was starting to bug her. She had never done anything quite like this, and she definitely wasn't the type of girl who would sleep with just anyone, although many people might say differently, because let's face it; she has never been a saint.

Alex was currently trying to get ready and head to work, but she just couldn't focus, she had too much on her mind. Throwing on her coat, she left her apartment, and headed for one of the coffee shops near her apartment, she needed caffeine and a lot of it; this was going to be a long week.

Fifteen minutes later, with a large cup of coffee in hand, Alex arrived at Harding Magazine's offices. She signed in and made her way to one of the smaller, more compact elevators heading to her and Lizzie's adjoined office on the third floor. Making her way out of the elevator, she took her time as she walked down the wide hallways while she smiled and politely greeted a few of her fellow co-workers.

The building was large and was located nearly a block away from New York's Garment District, a beautiful location. The owner of the magazine, Richard Harding, had bought the building nearly thirty years ago when he had started the magazine. His business had started out small, considering he came from a poorer family and had very little money at the time. It had taken a few years for the magazine to gain some recognition, but when it did, it became a new and powerful force in the fashion world, grabbing the attention of many well known designers with its diverse and innovative ideas. Presently the six story building housed over a hundred employees in its roomy and comfortable, but also very organized space.

Reaching her office door, she walked in and set her stuff down, sitting down in her chair, Alex laid her arms across the desk before laying her head down. Although not intentionally, Alex had completely ignored Lizzie who was sitting across from her.

"Alex?" Lizzie said as she looked up from her desk and over at Alex. When she didn't get a reply, she walked over to Alex, and lightly placed a hand on her shoulder.

Jumping, Alex quickly looked up to see Lizzie staring back at her. Sighing, she put her head back down and then replied.

"Geez, Lizzie, you scared me."

"Sorry, I didn't mean too, but what's wrong, Alex." she said, now sitting on the edge of the desk next to Alex.

Pushing her chair back, she sat up in her chair and scooted closer to her desk before pulling out the papers she had neglected to finish for the last few weeks. "Nothing, I'm fine, just a little tired." she said, giving Lizzie a quick, reassuring smile.

Lizzie was hoping for a different answer, and although she smiled back, Lizzie wasn't buying it. She knew Alex was hiding something and she was determined to find out what it was.

"Are you sure, because you seem kind of out of it."

Turning her head in Lizzie's direction, Alex nodded, "Yes, Lizzie, I'm good."

"Really?"

"For the third time, I'm fine! Don't you have something better to do, like, I don't know, work?"

"Okay, I'm going to stop beating around the bush, I know something's wrong, so why don't you save us both some trouble and just tell me what happened." she said walking over to their door, and softly closed it.

"Did something bad happen over the weekend? You do know you can tell me if something's wrong, right? You can trust me."

Groaning loudly, Alex put her head in her hands and rubbed her forehead, "I know, I know, and I do trust you, but this is different."

"Well, that's okay, I'm more than willing to listen." she said, pulling a chair up to Alex's desk.

Shaking her head, Alex smiled, "You just don't stop do you?"

Lizzie laughed, "Not when my friends are in trouble." Smiling back, she continued, "So, what's wrong?"

Sighing, Alex preceded to tell Lizzie the whole story, from the beginning to end. Lizzie didn't say much, she just sat and listened as Alex explained her situation. It wasn't until the end did Lizzie say anything.

"Are you sure you can't remember what he looks like, because Tom and I knew pretty much everyone at the party, I'm sure we could figure out who it was."

"And then what?"

"Well, you could talk to him."

"What, no, that would be weird and extremely uncomfortable! Look, I was just feeling weird about it because I didn't know the guy, it's not going to matter anyways, it was one night, and I'll get over."

"You're sure?"

Pushing Lizzie out of her chair and towards her desk, Alex replied, "Dear God, Lizzie, I'm fine! Now, that you know, why don't you go do some work before our boss walks in and fires the both of us."

xxx

**Saturday Morning (Day of the Party)**

Justin was currently on the phone with Tom.

"Okay, what time should I be at your apartment?" Justin asked as he carried his suit out of the dry cleaners, making his way back home. He was told this party was going to be a black tie event, especially since many designers were going to be in attendance, and truth be told, he had been looking for a good excuse to break out one of his nicer suits.

"Meet me here around seven o'clock, the party doesn't start until eight, but my dad wants me to get there a little early. Elizabeth and Alex are going to meet us later."

"Tom I know I've asked you this before but are you sure Alex doesn't know it's me?"

"As far as I know, Justin, she doesn't even know you're coming. You need to calm down, everything will be fine."

"Yeah, well, that's easy for you to say."

xxx

It was around seven-twenty when Justin and Tom arrived at The Conrad Hotel in downtown Manhattan. Harding Magazines thirtieth anniversary was being held in one of the hotels ballrooms, needless to say, the hotel was beautiful.

Justin stepped out of his car before unbuttoning the jacket of his simple black suit, he had been sweating since he had put it on and was hoping to cool off a little bit in the wintry November air. He was extremely nervous and his well fitted suit wasn't helping him at all. After taking a few moments to air out, he followed Tom into the building, where they were immediately led to the dining hall deep within the hotel. The room was large, with sparkling chandlers hanging from the ceiling, and there was slightly dimmed lighting in order to set a comfortable mood for the night. After greeting Tom's father, Richard, Justin excused himself to the restroom. Pushing open the wooden door, Justin headed straight to the sinks. He turned on the cold water, cupped his hands and brought the water up to his face, careful not to wet his suit. He repeated the action several times before reaching over to the left, grabbing one of the paper towels and began wiping his face, Once he finished, Justin leaned against the counter before glancing at his reflection, he hadn't slept at all last night and it was starting to show as slight dark lines began to form under his eyes. Sighing, his eyes moved down to his tie, taking a hold of the black material he tucked it back under his black vest before checking his appearance one last time. Satisfied by the way he looked; Justin exited the restroom, ready to face whatever came his way.

xxx

As people began arriving, the room seemed to continuously get smaller and smaller as everyone began filing into the room. Justin couldn't help but stare at the entrance, he was still very anxious and the anticipation was killing him. Standing at the bar, Justin took a sip of cold water as he tried to keep his cool. A light tap on the shoulder interrupted his thoughts, as he turned around, Justin faced Tom.

"They're here, just try to stay calm, and I promise everything will be alright." Justin just nodded in response.

Tom and Justin moved quickly through the swarms of people as they made their way closer to the entrance of the room. Through a small opening in the groups of people, Justin was able to spot Elizabeth and Alex. Slowing down his pace, Justin took his time to look at both girls but nearly stopped right then and there when his eyes landed on Alex. Dressed in burgundy, Alex's strapless dress fully framed her petite figure. Cinched at her waist, the cotton material softly flowed passed her heels to the hardwood floors. Her silky brown hair was loosely place into a nice bun as a few curled strands of hair bordered both sides of her face. Her makeup was minimal, not that she really needed any, at least that's what Justin thought. That was one thing that had always amazed Justin, no matter where Alex was, no matter what she was doing, she always looked effortless.

As both Tom and Justin approached the girls, Lizzie immediately ran up to Tom giving him a hug and a kiss on the cheek before giving Justin a quick hug. Grabbing a hold of Justin's arm, Lizzie pulled him over to Alex, who was only a few feet in front of him. Shifting anxiously on his feet, his eyes finally met hers.

"Justin, I would like you to meet my friend, Alex." Looking at Alex, Lizzie continued, "Alex, this is Justin, Tom's friend." she said, pushing him in Alex's direction.

Alex's expression remained neutral throughout the exchange only gracing a small smile when she held out her hand to greet Justin.

Very confused, Justin glanced at Tom then shook her hand. "It's very nice to meet you, Justin." Alex said sweetly.

"Uh, yeah, you too, Alex."

"Well, now that you too have been aquatinted, Tom and I are going to get some drinks. Why don't you two go find your seats." Lizzie said, walking away with Tom.

Turning his head back in Alex's direction, she had one hand pressed against her mouth, trying to suppress a giggle.

Slightly relieved, Justin smiled, "You do remember me."

Letting out one of her loud, obnoxious laughs, in the already rambunctious room she walked closer to him, wrapping her arms around his neck giving him a hug. "Of course I remember you, dork!" The nervousness he had been feeling for the last week seemed to flood out of him all at once.

Laughing, Justin returned the hug; he had surprisingly missed that nickname. "It's good to see you, Russo! It's been a while."

Pulling away, Alex leaned back to look Justin in the face, "Yeah, well, that's not really my fault, now is it? Someone had to go and move away." she said, poking him in the chest.

Smiling, he replied, "That wasn't really my fault either, Alex. But it's really good to see you, how have you been?" Justin asked, motioning for her to walk ahead of him so they could find their table.

"Great actually, I mean work has been a little bit boring lately but overall good. What about you?"

"I'm fine, I've been really busy at work so I haven't really had much free time lately, but other than that, great." he said shrugging.

"Oh, really, so what exactly do you do now, Justin? I couldn't possible imagine you being anything other than a doctor or scientist." she said rolling her eyes.

Making his way around another table, he finally spotted their seats then pulled out a chair for Alex. "Hey, those are both very noble professions, and we haven't seen each other in over six years, and you still find a way to make fun of me, I think that might be a new record."

"I haven't lost my touch, Justin."

"So I see, but actually, no…" he said smiling."I work in construction."

Alex was actually surprised, "Really?! What made you choose construction?"

"Well I've always enjoyed building things so I decided to major in civil engineering in college, I actually really enjoy it." he explained, sitting down in his own chair.

Smiling, she pat his shoulder, "I'm glad, at least your job doesn't sound too nerdy."

"Nope it's actually pretty nerdy, I work with math all day and I love it!" he smiled, making Alex laugh.

"I guess I spoke too soon."

"So, I was told that you work for the magazine, but what exactly do you do?" Justin asked.

Resting her arm against the table, Alex explained, "Well, Lizzie and I work together in our own little department. Our job description is basically called creative consulting. We give advice to the graphic designers on how each issue of the magazine should look, but we also create some of the art work that they photograph with the clothing. When I was in college, Harper and I interned for the magazine for about a year and then when we graduated, Tom's dad, Mr. Harding gave us a full time job. He said he really enjoyed my art work and creativity, so he hired me. My boss not only loves fashion, but he also has a great respect for art, so it worked out great for me."

"Wow, you sound mature."

"Well I'm not exactly the same girl I was in high school, Justin. I have grown up a little bit."

He nodded in agreement, "I can tell and I'm proud."

Leaning in closer to Justin, Alex laid her right hand on his chest, Justin's body went ridged. Speaking softly, almost in a whisper, she looked him in the eyes, "I wouldn't say I'm an angel now, I still have a few tricks up my sleeve." she said smiling. Standing up abruptly, Justin kept his eyes on her, confused by her behavior. Walking a few feet in front of him, she turned her head back to him holding up her left hand. Waving it in the air, Justin recognized what she was holding; it was his black leather 'Smart Guy' wallet. "Drinks are on you, Justin!" she said before walking in the direction of the bar.

Patting down his jacket and his pant pockets, he wasn't really surprised to find them empty. Shaking his head, he quickly stood up to chase after her. 'I guess I spoke too soon.' he thought to himself.

Meeting Alex at the bar, Justin leaned against the wooden table as he motioned to one of the bartenders. "You do know the drinks here are complementary, no need to steal my wallet."

"First of all, I didn't steal it, I borrowed it, and secondly you can never be too sure, I wouldn't want to spend my own money."

Justin scoffed, "I almost forgot, your logic and mine are completely different." he said nudging her with his shoulder.

"Hey, I'm just trying to save some money!"

"Oh, really?"

"Why of course, Justin! Why on earth would I have an ulterior motive for taking your wallet?" she explained sarcastically, handing it back to him.

"That's a great question, I have no idea." he said in a tone that matched hers.

Walking up to Alex and Justin, the bartender handed Alex her drink and then took Justin's order. Taking a hold of her drink, she turned to Justin before grabbing the small straw and taking a sip. She looked at him for a moment, "So, Justin, do you live here now or do you still live near your parents in New Jersey?"

"I live here. After college I was able to get a job and move to the city again in my own apartment, although my mom wasn't too happy about it, my dad could have cared less."

"Why was your mom so worried, you're mature and you're twenty-four years old?"

Justin laughed, "Try telling that to my Italian mother, they don't know how to let go, if it was her way I would still be living at home, she has to call me a couple of times a week just to see if I'm okay. Although, I think my dad convinced her to let me go, he was probably happy to see me leave."

"Why would he be?"

Shrugging his shoulders, he sighed, "My dad and I haven't really been on the greatest of terms since I went to college. He was mad and disappointed that I didn't go into helping him at his shop, and he doesn't really like the fact that I decided to go into construction. Over the years we have kind of pushed each other away, so we don't have much of a relationship."

Alex frowned, Justin had always been very close to his family and she honestly felt bad for him. Setting her drink down, Alex reached out and rubbed his arm, making him look up, she sincerely replied, "I'm sorry, but I know you and your family and I'm sure things will work out."

Placing his hand on hers, he smiled, "Thank you, I really appreciate that, and I hope your right."

When they let go of each other, Alex tried to find a way to change the subject, in a quiet voice she began, "I almost forgot to ask, how did the wizard competition go?"

"Wow, I haven't been asked that one in a long time, but we actually didn't have one, Dean had to give up his powers."

"Really, why?!"

"He got married and has a child."

"Wait, what?!"

"I know it's shocking, but it really did happen. When we moved to New Jersey, Dean had met a girl at his new high school and they became really serious and about two months after they had started dating she got pregnant. Dean really manned up though, he sacrificed college to get a full time job at my dad's garage and then asked her to marry him. They have stayed together and their five year old daughter, Isabella, is a sweetheart. They actually live at my parent's house because they can't afford to buy their own home right now."

"Wow, I really have missed a lot, how did your parents take it when they found out she was pregnant?"

"Uh, they took it very well, I mean my mom is pretty forgiving so she got over it quickly and was very excited for them, and my dad wasn't really all that mad, he was actually very supportive."

"Oh, well, that's good."

"Yeah, it is, but enough about me, what about you? Did you win your families wizard competition?"

She smiled at him before she looked down, "I did win, but I gave up my powers for Max."

"Why did you have to do that?"

"I didn't have to, I wanted to. At the time, I already had a job and my own apartment, and Max had just graduated high school and he didn't want to go to college, so I just thought he deserved them. It did work out in his favor though, not too long after he got his powers back he met a girl, named Talia, who also happened to be a wizard, and they have been dating for the last three years. He also just recently got a job as a security guard at one of the local hospitals, and he is super excited about it."

Justin laughed, "That actually doesn't surprise me that sounds like a job Max would love to have, but that's good for him. And that it was very kind of you to do that for Max, but I do have to say that you did deserve the magic, Alex. Even though you didn't always use magic the way you were supposes to and I always had to help you fix your problems when we were kids, you did have a natural talent for magic."

"Well, thank you, but we don't need to tell people that I, Alex Russo, can actually be a nice person, I wouldn't want to ruin the reputation I have build up for so many years."

"Your secret is safe with me."

"Good!"

"So, how have your parents been, they still own the Substation, right?"

"Oh yeah, luckily they have been able to keep it going, but my dad did have to break down and actually hire some employees. The shop has been getting a lot of business lately, and they are doing very well."

"I'm happy to hear it!"

xxx

As the night continued, the party was beginning to wind down. Both Justin and Alex continued their conversation on and off for the rest of the night as they discussed their lives over the past few years, only stopping to listen to the small speech Richard Harding gave, thanking everyone for coming to his event. Earlier in the night Alex had even reintroduced Justin to Harper and Zeke. Justin was actually really excited to see his old friends again, and had even made plans to hang out with Zeke later on in the week. Currently, all three girls had headed into the lady's room to freshen up before they left the hotel as Justin and Tom were talking at their table, while Zeke was outside trying to hail a cab.

"You see Justin, she didn't even know it was you, you were freaking out this whole time for nothing."

"Yeah, I guess you were right."

Smiling at his friend, Tom took a sip of his drink, "Well it looks like you two are really hitting it off."

"We are, it's actually really good to see her again. I can't believe I'm saying this but I think I actually missed her. She's different then how she use to be."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, she just… she just seems so much older. She still has the same attitude, but to me she doesn't seem like a kid anymore, she's an adult."

"Well time does tend to change people, Justin."

"I guess so."

xxx

Making their way out of the hotel as a group, each couple said their goodbyes and separated into their own cabs, Justin had offered to take Alex home in his car. When they had arrived at her apartment, Justin, being a gentleman, got out of the car to open Alex's door, at the same time getting another good look at her long, burgundy dress.

Justin smiled before his eyes moved up to hers, "You know, I don't think I told you this, but you look absolutely beautiful tonight, Russo. I don't know why I didn't tell you that before but you really do."

Reaching the stoop of her building, Alex turned to face Justin, grabbing the lapels of his suit, she glanced at his suit. "I guess I could say the same about you, you clean up pretty well yourself. I had a lot of fun tonight and it was great to see you again, Moriarty."

"Me too, and that reminds me, I wanted to ask you, if maybe you would like to go out and get dinner sometime this week. It'll be my treat and there will be no need to go and 'borrow' my wallet this time, I am more than willing to pay. I was thinking maybe Friday night at seven-thirty?"

Still holding onto his coat she lightly tightened her grip, tilting her head to the left slightly, she looked into her favorite green eyes. "Are you asking me out on a date, Justin?"

"What, that's not…I didn't mean…I just thought that we could…" Justin trailed off; Alex had forgotten how much fun it was to make him struggle.

Stepping up on one of the stairs to her porch, Alex's face was level with Justin's. "I know what you meant, dork, and I would love to. I'll be waiting right here at seven-thirty on Friday night, and you better not be late." leaning forward, she gave him a quick peck on the cheek before turning around and disappearing behind the door that led to her apartment.

Justin was left there standing on the deserted sidewalk and couldn't even say a goodbye before he realized she was already gone.


End file.
